You Forgot
by bloodstainedhope
Summary: Written for LizzeXX's challenge: 'Write a one-shot/chapter of your own about how you picture the Doctor remembering Angel is his Mate in the Heart of Time Saga.'


**Written for LizzeXX's challenge: Write a one-shot/chapter of your own about how you picture the Doctor remembering Angel is his Mate in the Heart of Time Saga.**

**~X~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Or Angel, or LizzeXX's stories or any of her whoverse…**

**~X~**

**This is my contribution to the Angel Fanfic Challenge set up by the marvellously talented 'LizzeXX'. The challenge is outlined below:**

**_"The Doctor has forgotten his Mate, Angel, and so many hope he one day remembers her. While I won't say when or how or if he will, the challenge is open for you to decide. Write a one-shot/chapter of your own about how you picture the Doctor remembering his Mate. It can take place at any time in Series 5 or 6 or 7 or you can even make up your own moment in the 50th special if you think it'll be that long. I'd say you could even go back to Eleventh Hour if you'd like to interpret it as (/hope it was) a momentary lapse of memory. You can write it in any manner you'd like, have the Doctor or Angel react any way, in any episode, with however much fluff (or even angst) you'd like :)"_**

~X~

**A/N - So First of all I had two ideas, and one was that I could see Angel and the Doctor slowly getting together again and then they mate and the Doctor remembers and is like 'Oh my god, I'm an idiot, we've already been through/done this' but then I thought I couldn't write that without writing the whole rest of the series so I did the second one instead. **

~X~

It happened gradually. So slowly that neither the Doctor nor Angel _really_ realised it was happening.

The Doctor would occasionally get brief flickers of emotion at the most _random_ moments. Actually 'flickers' is the wrong word as they were more like surges or floods, whether it be jealousy, fondness, irritation, that rushed over him in waves.

It was almost like he was remembering something, something just out of his grasp, like trying to remember a dream when you wake up and it's slipping away, but it's left an imprint of emotion on your mind.

It took him a while to make the connection, but eventually the Doctor realised these waves of emotion came after when something happened specifically with Angel, or when someone talked about her.

Also mates. He struggled with the word, it never sounded right when he said it, and whenever he used it he always seemed to stutter over it, like he should be using it in another context. Of course, mates on Gallifrey were partners, lovers, but he'd never had one.

Something changed when Angel came into the console room one day wearing a new bracelet. One he recognised at once as a device that was used in the war to block the pain of a lost mate. But Angel didn't have a mate did she? They were friends, she would have told him if she had.

He commented about it offhandedly with a casual, "That's pretty."

Angel started, surprised then smiled and thanked him, but that was it, that was the end of their conversation and the Doctor just shrugged it off and went on with what he was doing.

One night in the TARDIS he was aware that Rory and Angel were off somewhere together, talking about something and the next day he noticed Rory would shoot her sympathetic looks on occasion and sometimes, when he thought the Doctor wasn't looking, he'd notice Rory glaring at him out of the corner of his eye.

It was all very confusing and he wondered what Angel could have told him to make him dislike him so much. Angel was so sweet and kind and wonderful that he couldn't imagine her ever saying a bad word about anyone.

But apparently she had and about him.

That hurt. Quite a bit, actually.

So he decided to ask her about it.

~X~

"Angel?"

"Mm?"

"Why are you wearing a dampening bracelet?"

Angel's eyes widened. "What?"

"The bracelet," the Doctor said. "It's one of the ones they used in the war when a… mate died."

Angel nodded but didn't say anything.

"Did you lose someone?"

Angel nodded again.

"Why didn't you tell me, I thought we were friends. Just tell me his or her name."

Angel winced at that. "I don't want to talk about it."

The Doctor frowned. "Please?"

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Please?"

_"_Doctor_," _Angel sighed and turned to look at him.

They stared at each other for a moment before something clicked in the Doctor's brain. Angel had _answered. _

_"Just tell me his or her name."_

_"Doctor."_

"Oh my god," he whispered. "Are we… I mean, am I, did we…"

"_Doctor_," Angel said again. "I said I don't want to talk about it."

"But if we're…"

"You forgot," Angel interrupted. "And I had to put up with it for _months."_

The Doctor frowned. There had been something niggling away at the back of his mind, something that had bothered him since he'd regenerated and he suddenly realised what it was.

It was _Angel._

And at the moment he realised that, he realised Angel had gone. She'd stood up and left without him noticing.

~X~

**A/N - And then of course, afterwards he'd chase after her or something and be like 'oh my god, I remember…' and maybe Angel wouldn't accept him back for ages (but let's be honest she probably would…) and then he'd find out she's pregnant and be like 'I'm so sorry, I'm such an idiot," and she'd be all nice and kind like 'It's not your fault and then they'd get back together and eventually we'd get the fluff back (:**


End file.
